Britpop

Live Review: The 1975 @ Westpoint, Exeter

“Rock and roll is dead, God bless The 1975,” flash the LED screens as the band finish playing ‘Sex’, the final song of the night. Only bands of the biggest ego could make such a claim, and it is frontman Matty Healy’s flamboyant, ineffable charisma that allows them to own the statement.

God knows why one of Britain’s biggest bands decided to play in a barn on a farm, but it led to a much more intimate show than others they have played on this tour (they played London’s O2 Arena only a couple days before). Fans camped outside the venue the night before, and the excitement was palpable.

The 1975 brought label-mates No Rome and Pale Waves on tour with them as opening acts, who provided upbeat pop music to get the crowd warmed up for them. No Rome played the songs off his debut EP RIP Indo Hisashi and rapped on a couple of unreleased tracks, while Pale Waves threatened to steal the show with their glossy guitar pop. By the time they had reached the end of their set, debut single ‘There’s A Honey’ was received by an ecstatic crowd, showing how much the band have developed their live act in the last two years of touring.

Pale Waves threatened to steal the show with their glossy guitar pop

However, the biggest cheer was reserved for The 1975 themselves, as they took the stage during the third iteration of their self-titled intro song, before segueing into ‘Give Yourself A Try’. The band proceeded to play hit after hit in front of a backdrop of neon rectangles and a screen conceptualised by Healy himself. A treadmill was used for ‘Sincerity Is Scary’ as Healy donned a beanie to emulate the music video, and backup dancers The Jay Twins took centre stage on ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)’. Midway through the set, No Rome even returned for ‘Narcissist’, his collaboration with The 1975.

the biggest cheer was reserved for The 1975 themselves

After this, the show began to take on a more personal tone, with Healy addressing the audience between songs, directing ‘A Change Of Heart’ as a love song for all the men in the audience, and dedicating ‘Robbers’ to the fans in the most emotional segment of the night. Deep cut ‘The Ballad Of Me And My Brain’ was a standout moment with its erratic instrumentation and visuals, and fans of the band’s older material were in for a treat when they played the atmospheric ‘fallingforyou’ and ‘Undo’. The band even took a huge risk by playing ‘How to Draw / Petrichor’ mid-set, which morphed from an ambient song into pulsating drum and bass, and managed to hold the attention of a fair amount of the audience.

The pace of the concert began to pick up again once the band resumed playing their hits – ‘Somebody Else’ and ‘Girls’ had the whole crowd (including parents and boyfriends) moving and singing along, and Britpop closer ‘I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)’ was an anthemic, phones-in-the-air moment (interestingly enough, Oasis played this very same venue 22 years ago).

Britpop closer ‘I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)’ was an anthemic phones-in-the-air moment

When the lights returned signalling an encore, Healy was alone on the stage with an acoustic guitar, and proceeded to lead the audience into a heartfelt rendition of ‘Be My Mistake’, though many fans found themselves smirking at the lyrics of the song. The best was saved for last, however, as the re-energised crowd shouted along to every word of ‘Love It If We Made It’, and danced wildly to the guitar solo of ‘The Sound’. By the end of ‘Sex’, it was clear nearly everyone was exhausted, yet impressed and thoroughly satisfied.

It is a testament to The 1975’s live show that they managed to engage the audience so well, despite missing out hits such as ‘Heart Out’ and ‘Love Me’ that have previously been staples of their live set. The band looks happier than ever since Healy’s rehabilitation, and it is undeniable they have reached a new career peak. With a new album coming out soon and a headlining slot at this year’s Reading and Leeds, it seems that the only way for The 1975 is up.

Live Review: DMA’s at Exeter Phoenix

A week of stunning, sunny weather across Exeter and the UK meant Exeter Phoenix was a glowing place to visit on a Tuesday evening – and not just because of the assembly of sunburns. A couple hundred eager music fans aggregating in one of Exeter’s favourite music venues, anticipating the arrival of Sydney’s newest up-and-coming three-piece; forming a troupe made up of die-hard fans, Phoenix regulars, and folk who have come to see what all the fuss is about with DMA’s.

Warm up group RedFaces – a fourpiece garage pop band from Sheffield – were a particularly impressive way to get the evening started. It was clear from the off that the group were loving every second that they were on the stage, making the most out of their opportunity, and this infectious energy was replicated by the crowd. Their songs were well written, impressively performed – particularly the rhythm and bass coupling Charlie Yapp and Isaac White – and a full-on assault from the beginning; exactly what the crowd was hoping to hear from the group they were supporting. Although not having a substantial opportunity to showcase themselves in such a short warm-up slot, their musical ability was clear to see, however not much evidence of song variety; albeit, again, difficult to achieve in a compact period.

Their lack of thrills, stage show, and variety may have been a slight reservation to some of the audience, however, the vast majority of the crowd could not care one jot

After a brief interval, the much anticipated DMA’s nonchalantly took to the stage, following some strange entrance music to signal their arrival. Normally the three-piece, regulars Tommy O’Dell, Matthew Mason and Johnny Took were also joined by touring members Joel Flyger, Thomas Crandles and Liam Hoskins – crowding the already small Phoenix stage with 6 musicians. Kicking off with the instantly full-blown ‘Feels Like 37’, a throwback to their eponymous first EP released in 2014, the tone was set for the rest of the night – a full-on barrage of Britpop-inspired performances that got the eager crowd going from the very start.

Despite some early feedback from the microphone, frontman Tommy O’Dell’s vocal performance and understated-yet-encapsulating movement throughout the night was superb – giving the crowd exactly what they came to hear. Despite very little interaction with the crowd – slightly disappointing for a close-knit venue – O’Dell and his gang had them going from the get-go. Their lack of thrills, stage show, and variety may have been a slight reservation to some of the audience, however, the vast majority of the crowd could not care one jot – they got exactly what they came for: 6 very talented young and upcoming musicians replicating their back catalogue fantastically on stage.

The tunes ‘Step Up The Morphine’, from their successful debut album, and their first single ‘Delete’ were particularly well-received by fans. Ending on arguably their biggest hit, ‘Lay Down’ from their first album, it was a great, energetic conclusion to a thoroughly enjoyable gig. By the end, the crowd were moshing, getting on each other’s shoulders and moving like any good rock gig should allow – they were loving it. Although an out-and-out rock gig with little variation may not appeal to some, it was exactly what the crowd wanted at Exeter Phoenix.

Album Review: DMA’s – For Now

DMA’s are an Australian rock band who have been receiving a lot of attention of recent. They have a very interesting cross-section of influences, ranging from alternative/indie rock, elements of shoegaze, but most importantly a strong dose of Britpop. However, despite the presence of all these genres (or possibly because of), this new, their sophomore release, For Now, is bad.

Despite being so diverse in its influences, it takes the safest and boring aspects of them and doesn’t really do anything interesting. The album lacks any form of really catchy tunes, which is fine but then the tradeoff should be some interesting soundscapes, something to draw the listener in and make the experience worthwhile but there’s none of that either. It is a very boring listen, an album, that despite being only 46 minutes long with songs ranging from 3 to 4 and a half minutes, felt bloated. It is like Slowdive but without the dense textures, like Oasis but without half-decent songwriting.

On the subject of songwriting, the whole general concept of this album is “I love you so much, why won’t you love me” and it gets very irritating, very quickly. The way in which this ‘love’ is explored is very shallow and sounds like someone harassing another person who they had a one night stand with. The vocals have the same grading sense that a Cigarettes After Sex record would have, but thankfully the lyrics are not quite as obnoxious. Because of the very lackluster songwriting, this album loses steam very quickly. A lot of songs feel finished by the half-way point and then we are left with usually a repetition of the chorus that fades out with the rising but rather uninspiring instrumentals. This leads to this feeling that the album really lacks a whole lot of substance.

The album is very much a victim of the sordid state that rock music is currently in

Amongst all this criticism there are some high points on the album, there are points when the collecting and rising reach a suitable climax. Even on the song ‘In the Air’ which despite the annoying vocals leading the track out, does feel somewhat orgasmic. Also, I feel that the album picked itself up a bit near the end. The last three tracks feel by far the best, but I’m not quite sure why. Could be a placebo effect, as I realized that my time with this album was about to come to an end, and subsequently felt a slight sense of joy, which is a horribly cynical point of view and probably isn’t true. Even if this record did improve near the end, it was far too late and had already grown very stale.

Ultimately, I feel that the biggest crime that this album committed was that it was just very mediocre and never tried to do anything interesting or different. I might have been a bit less brutal had it tried to do something interesting but failed, instead, it was incredibly boring and failed. Therefore, I can’t really give it any leeway.

The album is very much a victim of the sordid state that rock music is currently in. Due to bands like Muse and Arctic Monkeys, all of the heart and passion of rock has been sapped out as it has become more and more overproduced. I’m not saying that rock music has to be low-fidelity because it doesn’t. However, the best rock music had this sense of wonder, this idea that with enough creativity, a group of teenagers could make incredible music in their basement (case and point, Spiderland by Slint). Now it’s just overly glossy and dull music, destined for a place in a FIFA soundtrack.

What’s the hype with Love Actually?

It was with a tremendous surprise to me that, when researching Love Actually, I found that it came out in 2003 to mixed reviews. The now-lauded staple of every true Englisher’s Christmas was not always the cultural sensation that it is now. Regardless, the classic status that has evolved in the decade-and-a-half since the film came out is not warranted. Love Actually should be submitted to the past, wiped from our Christmas traditions like the X Factor Christmas Special (or, just the X Factor).

Love Actually is a vapid study of love and romance. It tells us nothing interesting about the emotion, and instead plays into banal myths about it. What is so irritating about this is that the film proclaims this is what Love Actually is.

Love, according to Love Actually, is something people who have never spoken to each other share. Love, according to Love Actually, is the prerogative of men to hold over women. Love, according to Love Actually, blossoms when one party stalks the other so much that they are obliged to fall involve with their stalker.

It’s not just another cynical cash-grab using lazy tropes about love; it’s cynical cash-grab actually celebrating lazy tropes about love.

Sorry, but having an all-star cast is not an acceptable substitute for not writing interesting characters

Richard Curtis commits the cardinal sin he commits in each of his movies: he does not write female characters. He has females, but they’re not characters. They’re empty. They’re plot devices. They’re there for the men and boys in the film to ogle over.

He doesn’t write the men particularly well in this film either (how can you develop anyone when there are 24 or so noteworthy characters). But if you want to get a sense of his passive sexism in this film, pay attention to how much dialogue male characters are given compared to the female characters.

You may point to Emma Thompson’s character. Well done! That’s one character that actually has something semi-interesting happen to her. All the others have a male fall in love with them and then just accept their love, no questions asked, even in the cases where they haven’t even fucking spoken to each other.

Now a brief statement on the positive parts of the film. It was well acted and I think I laughed three or four times. The End.

Richard Curtis does not write female characters. He has females, but they’re not characters.

Well, not quite the end. I want to comment on another theme. Love, Actually has a certain English charm – which I can tell you, as a professional Englishman, does not exist. One of the cardinal sins of many middle-brow BBC-inspired British writers is the idea that their primary audience aren’t British. This in itself is not a bad thing, but what it inspires is a screen culture of pandering to others’ misconceptions of British life. As an aside, I would love to see a state-of-the-nation film colab between Richard Curtis and Ken Loach, whose conflicting ideas of Britain are almost civil war-inducing.

I wanted to comment on a feeling I got when watching the Love Actually. To someone born in the late-90s who cannot even remember the release of this film, it already feels quite dated. Though I don’t remember the film, I remember the England that it portrays. The sanguine land of Britpop, New Labour, and blissful ignorance of the still-pervasive class differences. It was a time that the Prime Minister could conceivably be a young bachelor and people listened to Joni Mitchell. That seemingly harmonious age has been brutally murdered in the past few years, but Love, Actually captures the feel of it. Ultimately, like the film, the age was a farce: only great if we chose to ignore the obvious blemishes.

Album Review: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built the Moon?

As arguably Britain’s most prolific and widely respected indie songwriters, you could forgive Noel Gallagher for returning to a winning Oasis formula of mighty power ballads and thick nineties electric guitar. Swarmed by recent controversy of the seemingly never ending spat between him and sibling Liam, as well as increasing public calls for a reunion, no better was there a time for Noel to conciliate with Oasis fans and produce Morning Glory II. However, step aside, parker monkeys and middle aged mums, for this is no heart melting album of lost love and romances, nor a revisit to Oasis’ glory days. Noel is well and truly back with a breath of fresh air, in a musical evolution that before only existed in an messy indie wet dream.

Who Built the Moon? opens in full force with the four minute instrumental ‘Fort Nox’, combining the explosive intensity of rock n’ roll with electronic prog elements not often seen in a Gallagher record. Was it going to go full David Gilmour and merge into a 15 minute Dark Side of the Moon epic, or crack into a Kasabian-esque anthem worthy of a Bond theme? The answer was initially unclear- upon a first listen it can be hard to know exactly what you’re feeling, other than being hit by both excitement and curiosity. Only after hearing the rest of the album did it become apparent that this was mere precursor to the epic journey that was about to come.

Not often can a song seduce a listener on the first visit, but ‘Holy Mountain’ did exactly that. An upbeat rock n’ roll track, you can tell its straight laced groove and moshabilty will be a huge hit among fans live. Whereas solo artists of once glorious bands often have the habit of abusing their new found artistic freedom with unnecessary frills in the form of overindulgent instrument choices, Gallagher manages to explore experimental musical territory without any sense of overkill. Don’t be afraid – Gallagher hasn’t returned from an acid fuelled gap year from the Gadda-Da-Vida, so don’t be expecting any 17 minute ‘Iron Butterfly’-influenced super jams. That being said, for those hoping to use ‘It’s A Beautiful World’ as a first dance at their wedding, don’t be fooled, for here lies no tender ballad. Rammed into this jam is 5 minutes of alternative rock at its finest, mixing elements of psychedelia with modern indie, without compromising any of its edge. For those searching for demonic intervention in their lives then look no further than ‘The Man Whole Built the Moon’, which will ultimately make you question your existence while you simultaneously shit your pants at Gallagher’s filthy riffs.

Liam’s accusations that Noel has lost touch with rock and roll could not be further from the truth

Grounded in grit but smoothed with a layer of a sophistication that cannot be taught, Liam’s accusations that Noel has lost touch with rock and roll could not be further from the truth. This album has the ability to to wrench your guts like a whack from a sack of rusty spanners, while never compromising Gallagher’s inherent depth. While a primary relationship with rock n’ roll remains prevalent, this is no thoughtless modern rock endeavour. ‘The Man Who Built the Moon’ expertly incorporates elements of prog rock, psychedelia and indie, remaining totally unpretentious (minus the appearance of a scissor player in Gallagher’s ensemble). The spirit of youthful Manchester is maintained throughout, while showcasing the maturity of a musical legend, who has honed his craft.

Album Review: Liam Gallagher – As You Were

Love him or hate him, no-one can deny Liam Gallagher’s huge impact on British music as the bombastic and controversial frontman of Oasis, one of the most successful bands in recent history. ‘I’m Outta Time’, one of the few songs written by Liam, on their final album Dig Out Your Soul, is one of my favourite tracks from the band, and showed real potential for his musical future. But since the group’s explosive split in 2009, Gallagher’s work in Beady Eye has been met with lukewarm reactions, both critically and commercially. The Mancunian singer has called this album his ‘last chance to really make music’, so can his solo debut capture some of the magic of his Britpop heyday?

The answer, thankfully, is yes. Named after his sign-off on Twitter, where he is as notoriously blunt and out-spoken as ever, As You Were is an honest and no-frills tribute to Oasis and the Beatles that’s hard not to enjoy. Gallagher’s voice sounds better than it has in about a decade, retaining that unique and mysteriously appealing quality that makes ‘Wonderwall’ so catchy. Working alongside songwriters like Andrew Tighe and Greg Kurstin (who’s worked with Adele, Sia, and the Foo Fighters, among others), he has produced twelve simple songs of punchy rock ’n’ roll and sing-along ballads that would be at home on any previous Oasis record.

TWELVE SIMPLE SONGS OF PUNCHY ROCK ’N’ ROLL

Opener ‘Wall of Glass’ is an album highlight, with a rollicking harmonica and electric guitar intro described perfectly by the man himself as an ‘absolute stomper’. Songs like this, ‘Greedy Soul’, and ‘You Better Run’ show some Nashville and blues rock influence and got my head nodding pretty quickly. On the flipside, you have recent single ‘For What It’s Worth’, a soft apology song from Gallagher that is essentially diet ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’; while it might not eclipse that classic, it’s still one of the best ballads he’s ever sung, and incredibly catchy. Songs like ‘Paper Crown’ and ‘Universal Gleam’ are some of the best of the album, dialling back the distortion to highlight Gallagher’s vocals.

‘For What It’s Worth’ is a lyrical highlight in addressing Liam’s controversial past, but most of the album’s lyrics are very standard rock fare and disappointingly predictable (bar the bizarre Brexit observation ‘what’s it to be free, man? What’s a European? Me I just believe in the sun’ on ‘Chinatown’). However, ‘I’ve All I Need’, written solely by Gallagher, is a lovely album closer, containing the line ‘I hibernate and sing/while gathering my wings’, inspired by a Japanese banner in Yoko Ono’s New York flat, and encapsulating the album’s sound as a loving and open tribute to both Gallagher’s time in Oasis, and to his biggest inspiration in John Lennon.

As You Were is in no way an experiment or a risk for Liam Gallagher – it’s an album full of songs that sound almost familiar, they’re so derivative of Oasis and their influences. But Gallagher has made it clear that he wants to revive the sound that made him famous, and that he loves doing it, so is that really a problem? Maybe what the music industry needs right now is a shot of adrenaline in the form of an abrasive and charismatic Mancunian, playing good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. I’ll certainly be keeping my beady eye on what Gallagher does next.

Album Review: Gorillaz – Humanz.

Gorillaz are back, and though their Plastic Beach may be behind them, they’re still making waves. Virtual waves, that is – it’s been almost twenty years since the animated feet of Gorillaz first stepped on the music scene, and the brainchild of Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett shows no signs of fatigue. That said, Gorillaz has moved on, in style and substance; whether it has aged more like posh wine or like Liam Gallagher’s attitude is probably up to personal preference.

Speaking of all things Gallagher: Brit-pop fans rejoice, for Humanz features a collaboration between Albarn and Noel. Blur and Oasis, together at last – do I hear church bells ringing? Could this be the start of something beautiful? Perhaps, perhaps not; thus far, all we’ve got out of it is a decent track (‘We Got The Power’) and some Twitter angst. Besides, Noel is just one face in an entire crowd of collaborators. Like Plastic Beach before it, Humanz is built on an eclectic foundation of featured artists. Also in keeping with what seem to be an overall trend of Gorillaz’s development, the album leans towards the conceptual, although not too aggressively. Lively, bassy and a little quirky, you know you’re in a Gorillaz album. That slightly dirty Gorillaz sound is all still here, but – perhaps because Humanz is a wandering odyssey of an album, clocking in at twenty-six tracks (admittedly most of them short) – it takes on a more musing aspect here.

What are we musing, exactly? Is it the contents of Damon Albarn’s address book? Not that I’m complaining about taking this tour through Gorillaz’s phone contacts; at least these collaborations seem to hold real musical chemistry. Ranging from De La Soul to Grace Jones, Anthony Hamilton to Popcaan, and just about everywhere in between, it’s safe to say that Gorillaz certainly weren’t just phoning it in here, throwing big names at the album for embellishment. Humanz plays out with real creative flair, and is an engaging listen from start to finish.

Blur and Oasis, together at last – do I hear church bells ringing?

Technically, musically, I couldn’t fault Humanz – so when I was left feeling that the album seemed to be missing something, I was initially at loss for what it was. After several further listens, Humanz hasn’t lost its charm, but I know now what it lacks: for all its excellent tracks, the album just doesn’t have any real ‘bangers’. There’s no ‘Clint Eastwood’, no ‘Feel Good Inc.’, no ‘On Melancholy Hill’. That’s not to say that Humanz doesn’t have standout tracks – ‘Ascension’, ‘Saturnz Barz’, ‘Momentz’, and ‘The Apprentice’ to name but a few – they just lack that punch, that ‘fuck yes’ feeling that albums like Demon Days have led us to expect. Whilst the album as a whole is a great listen, it is so on its entirety, not on the back of any specifically outstanding tracks. Perhaps time will tell, and indeed I would love to be proved wrong. For now, Humanz remains a superlatively made album, and one which is sure to warrant a replay – I suppose I’m just holding out for the next ‘DARE’. Hopefully, it’s coming up.

Oh Britannia…: Is British Music Still Cool?

Two decades ago, the end of year album charts for 1997 painted a clear picture of the British music scene at the height of its Britpop era. The top ten alone included Oasis’s third album Be Here Now, after the success of its 1994 and 1995 predecessors, plus magnum opus Urban Hymns from The Verve, as well as Radiohead’s Ok Computer and The Prodigy’s The Fat of the Land. Oh, and two from The Spice Girls, in case you were wondering. Twenty years on, however, it’s interesting to see the legacy of these iconic home-grown albums, especially in comparison to British music today. Is it true the nation has lost its Cool Britannia reputation?

Britpop is still huge today – ten minutes listening to Radio X is peppered with British rock of the millennium as well as 90s classics fans know inside out (Parklife, I’m looking at you). Perhaps it’s the pride and essence of ‘Britishness’ about it – no category of music since has had the UK’s name carved into it. Additionally, its influences spill into upcoming and chart-topping groups today, however, nonetheless, a comparison of the genres in 1997 and 2016’s end of year charts shows more diversity and an impressive growth in the British music industry.

British music has never been so varied, nor accessible

Arguably, British music has never been so varied, nor accessible, thanks to the internet and new music platforms. Streaming, downloading and more specialist radio stations mean there have never been such fluid methods of music consumption – it’s never been this easy for listeners to find what they like. With the addition of social media, fans can easily stay up-to-date with their favourite artists and follow what they’re doing, regardless of whether they’re from the same country or not. International and domestic appreciation for British music is immortal, with every genre is having its moment in the sun, and for that reason, the catalogue of British music is rapidly growing; a varied, brimming mix, all of which slots together so well.

In this respect, its dual ability to hold its own and blend together is another strength for the power of British music. For example, last month’s issue of Q magazine sees interviews with The xx, Richard Ashcroft and Clean Bandit, spanning several genres within a mere few pages. With this in mind, the past month of January alone saw many British musicians making headlines for different reasons. Ed Sheeran announcing his third singer-songwriter LP and dropping two brand new singles, Kasabian and Muse headlining Reading and Leeds in August, and grime artist Ray BLK winning BBC’s Sound of 2017 Award mean the talent and potential of UK artists is ever-popular and well-rounded.

British music has peaked and troughed in the eyes of the world since before its beatlemania days

Die-hard fans may continue to debate that late 90s British music reached a sort of peak in terms of how it was viewed by the world, yet this isn’t necessarily the case. Whilst the ‘Cool Britannia’ period was certainly a timestamp in the history of this fascinating industry, British music has peaked and troughed in the eyes of the world since before its Beatlemania days, and continues to do so. Ultimately, whether or not it’s viewed as ‘cool’ as it was two decades ago, it continues to give it its best shot.

Britpop via Australia: An Interview with DMA’s

Hype can kill a band, particularly after releasing a successful single or two. There are those who use it to thrive, just take someone like Arctic Monkeys, who back in 2005 rode a wave of online exposure, ultimately landing them with the fastest-selling debut album of all time in Britain. However, there are dozens that don’t make the cut, and quickly lose the interest of the music publications and hipster bloggers. Blessing or a curse, there is most definitely a frenzy of expectation surrounding Sydney-born indie rockers DMA’s, a band that has recently been named as part of NME’s own list of artists to look out for in 2016. Here’s what happened when I spoke to the band about their upcoming album, Britpop tendencies and the state of guitar music today.

Having released a string of singles throughout 2015 – all met with a great deal of both commercial and critical success – my first question was aimed at the band’s progress towards their debut album and the pressure to maintain the acclaim received by their early releases. “We have finished recording the record; we are now just in the process of mixing it. We’re a bit early in our career to be feeling pressure at the moment; we’re just happy to be touring overseas and recording our tunes.” And touring they most certainly have been, with the band taking in a plethora of European festivals over the summer, with notable dates including a spot on the Festival Republic Stage at Reading and Leeds Festival, as well as sets at Latitude and Spain’s Benicassim.

This is clearly something they’ve been enjoying, with the band informing me, “We had a blast and the crowds seemed to really enjoy it, and we picked up some fans along the way. That’s what it’s all about at the moment; playing live and building a fan base.” Touring Europe seemed like the key mission for the band over this summer, having already established a strong fan base back in their native Australia. I asked if there were any significant differences in the types of crowds found in two totally different parts of the world, “They’re similar crowds; a good mix of young and old and guys and girls … although in Australia you drive 10 hours for one gig so, yeah, it’s much easier in that sense.”

“a good song is a good song regardless of who it’s played by, what it’s played on or what genre it is”

Decked out in vintage clothing and bucket hats, there is definitely a 90s era Britpop tinge to their sound, with a certain Manchester band that went by the name of Oasis, being the one comparison that has consistently haunted the band. When I asked the guys how they felt about this comparison, the band weren’t particularly nonplussed, casually stating, “yeah cool, I don’t mind when people draw comparisons”. Then again if they were to mirror the level of success that the Gallagher brothers attained, I highly doubt they would mind. But, is this a lazy comparison, yeah they wear the vintage 90s gear and have a certain swagger to their delivery, but I wanted to find out what sort of bands actually inspired them to make music and if they did actually grow up listening to such Britpop greats. “Yeah for sure … I love Stone Roses, Orbital, Oasis, Ride, Primal Scream and My Bloody Valentine to name a few. Mason and Johnny prefer American guitar bands like Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr, Queens of the Stone Age, so I guess there’s a mix between all that kind of stuff.”

The rise of the band comes amid a renaissance in the Australian music scene, with the DMA’s rising from a similar scene as Australian dance-punk duo DZ Deathrays. With the likes of Tame Impala, Pond and Courtney Barnett receiving both critical and commercial success on a global scale in recent years, I asked the band whether this is an important time for Australian guitar music and the start of a growing trend? “Sure. I think there are always good bands coming out of Australia and maybe people are paying more attention at the moment? Who knows?” A rather modest response to one of the world’s most thriving musical nations, and a few artists whose success DMA’s will be keen to follow.

The conversation then moved to the current state of guitar music, and the current domination of more electronic music, particularly in the charts. Being a more traditional guitar-oriented band, I asked them for their feelings on the matter. “I like electronic music and I like pop music. I just think a lot of music we are getting exposed to isn’t focusing on what’s important. For me it’s interesting melodies and meaningful lyrics; a good song is a good song regardless of who it’s played by, what it’s played on or what genre it is.”

This idea of ‘meaningful lyrics’ is clearly something DMA’s hold dearly, not just in their own songs but also in the advice that they have to offer to other bands that are trying to make it in today’s musical climate. “Keep writing as many meaningful songs as you can. Music is about songs, so if you have them you’re at least half way there.” And ‘stadium sized’ songs are something that DMA’s are not in short supply of! Expect to hear a lot more from these Aussie rockers in 2016, with the promise of a new album and most likely some more festival performances, this band is going to be everywhere. So if you’re inclined towards a massive chorus, in search for a band with a bit of swagger or waiting for the Gallagher brothers to get back together, then check out DMA’s for some classic Britpop tunes all the way from Down Under.

Featured Image: Earth Boy Press